LAS VEGAS – Bektemir Melikuziev’s overconfidence cost him dearly during his fight with Gabe Rosado.

The southpaw from Uzbekistan dropped Rosado late in the first round and felt he was well on his way toward knocking Rosado out when he got careless in the third round of their 12-round super middleweight match in June 2021. That’s when Rosado drilled Melikuziev with a right hand that knocked him to the canvas, face first, and knocked the 2016 Olympic silver medalist off of a fast track toward a 168-pound title shot.

Melikuziev tried to make it to his feet, but he fell down again. Referee Rocky Burke stopped their fight at 1:21 of the third round at the University of Texas-El Paso’s Don Haskins Center.

Nearly two years later, Melikuziev (11-1, 9 KOs) will get an opportunity to avenge the only loss of his professional career. The fighter nicknamed “Bek The Bully” will face Rosado in a 10-round super middleweight rematch on the Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia undercard at T-Mobile Arena.

It’s an unforeseen chance the 27-year-old Melikuziev promised he won’t waste.

“This is what happens in boxing if you get reckless,” Melikuziev told Premier Boxing Champions’ Ray Flores during an open workout Wednesday at MGM Grand. “I got reckless and I paid for it. I didn’t feel any threat and I went for the finish. This is what happened. This is why we got this rematch happening right now and I’m confident to right the wrong.”

Philadelphia’s Rosado (26-16-1, 15 KOs, 1 NC) has lost each of his three fights since he upset Melikuziev.

He lost to Jaime Munguia (41-0, 33 KOs) by unanimous decision in a 12-rounder in the fight following his win over Melikuziev. Shane Mosley Jr. (19-4, 10 KOs) beat him by majority decision in his subsequent bout, a 10-rounder, and Ali Akhmedov (19-1, 14 KOs) defeated Rosado by unanimous decision in his last fight, a 12-rounder that took place September 17 at T-Mobile Arena.

The 37-year-old Rosado was supposed to box Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez in a light heavyweight match March 18 at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California. Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs), a former WBO super middleweight champ, was significantly overweight, though, and their fight was canceled March 17.

Golden Boy Promotions offered Rosado the Melikuziev rematch soon thereafter.

“One thing I can promise you is it’s gonna be an exciting fight,” Melikuziev said. “It’s gonna be a banger. It’s gonna be a war.”

Rosado-Melikuziev will be the second of three undercard bouts broadcast before Davis (28-0, 26 KOs) and Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) meet in their 12-round, 136-pound main event. Showtime’s four-fight pay-per-view show is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. EDT and 5 p.m. PDT ($84.99).

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.